Teaching & Learning

DEPT. of TEACHING AND LEARNING
Dept. Code: TAL

The Department of Teaching and Learning offers a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree in Elementary Education (grades K-6)/Exceptional Student Education Specialization (grades K-12) with ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) endorsement.

In conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department also offers majors in
Secondary Education in English with ESOL endorsement, in Chemistry, in Biology, in
Mathematics, and in Social Science (grades 6-12). Students in Secondary Education programs are required to fulfill the general education requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Department offers two minors: (1) a traditional 15-credit minor, and (2) a 17-18-credit minor that fulfills the State of Florida “Professional Training Option” (PTO) for teaching in secondary-school English, secondary school mathematics, secondary-school science, secondary-school social studies, or in other areas of certification. In order to obtain teaching credentials from the State of Florida, a PTO completer must teach in an accredited school in Florida for one academic year.

MAJORS

Elementary Education/ESE Specialization with ESOL Endorsement

The Department of Teaching and Learning offers a major in Elementary Education that leads to certification in Elementary Education (grades K-6)/ESE Specialization with ESOL endorsement. The requirements for Elementary Education are a major in Elementary Education/ESE/ESOL and a minor outside of the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses in their major. The following
Education courses are required for the major:

TAL 101 Social and Technological Foundations of Education OR
TAL 103 Psychological Foundations of Education
TAL 305 Classroom and Behavior Management
TAL 308 Language Development for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students
TAL 322 Mathematics Instruction in the Elementary School
TAL 323 Science and Social Studies Instruction in the Elementary School
TAL 420 Introduction to Literacy Assessment and Instruction in the Elementary School
TAL 421 Language Arts in the Elementary School
TAL 426 Practicum in Reading
TAL 428 ESOL Curriculum, Methods, & Assessment
TAL 470 Student Teaching in the Elementary School (Semester-Long)
TAL 480 Seminar on Teaching

Please note: Students may not register for any classes above TAL 323 without admission to Teacher Candidacy.

Please note: Students are strongly recommended to register for TAL 203: Children’s

Literature and TAL 324: Education and the Arts. Both courses meet general education
requirements in the Arts and Humanities.
Area of Specialization (Required)

The Department of Teaching and Learning offers a major in Secondary education (grades 6-
12). Certification is offered in the general areas of: English/ESOL Endorsement; Mathematics; Sciences (Biology, Chemistry); Social Science (Economics, Geography, History, International Studies, or Political Science). Each student should complete a major from the appropriate department in the College of Arts and Sciences and a second major in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

The requirements for a major leading to secondary certification include

(a) a major in the appropriate field of Arts and Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Economics,
English, Geography, International Studies, History, Math or Political Science only)

The requirements for a minor in education consists of 15 credits passed with a “C” or higher, with an overall GPA of 2.5 in courses selected from the list of acceptable TAL departmental courses. A minimum of six (6) credits must be numbered 300 or higher. This minor does not lead to teaching credentials.

Professional Training Option Certificate

The Professional Training Option (PTO) is a Florida Department of Education approved pathway for non-education majors to complete the Professional Education component, one of the requirements to become a certified teacher in the State of Florida. Please be advised that students seeking the PTO must be majoring in a teachable area in order to participate in the program.

The PTO minor consists of 17-18 credits passed with a “C” or higher with an overall gpa of 2.5 or higher. Upon completion of the program courses, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. UM transcripts will indicate that the student has completed a Florida State approved PTO program. Program completers will be eligible to apply for a 3-year Temporary Teaching Certificate in the State of Florida. There is a one year teaching requirement in a Florida public school in order to apply for a Professional Teaching Certificate.

One course selected from the following list as appropriate for the subject area and approved by the advisor:
TAL 506 Issues and Strategies for ESOL
TAL 524 Education and the Arts
TAL 541 Instruction in Secondary English
TAL 542 Instruction in Secondary Mathematics
TAL 543 Instruction in Secondary Science
TAL 544 Instruction in Secondary Social Studies

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS

Bel-Aire Elementary, Henry S. West Laboratory Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Ponce de
Leon Middle School and Booker T. Washington Senior High School are operated by Miami- Dade County Public Schools. These schools provide the most up-to-date teaching environments, both in terms of design and curriculum, work in partnership with the University of Miami. Students are welcomed at these facilities for field experiences and student teaching, and both students and faculty have the opportunity to contribute to the high quality functioning of these professional development schools.

TEACHER Preparation PROGRAMS

Teacher Preparation Programs/majors in Elementary Education and Secondary Education that lead to a professional certification and applicable endorsements are approved by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). Please be advised that the State may implement new requirements for certification. These requirements will be mandatory with or without notice in this bulletin. The student is responsible for securing the application for certification and submitting the necessary documents and fees to the Florida Department of Education to obtain certification and endorsement. The DOE Certification Ombudsman in the School of Education and Human Development is available to assist with certification and re-certification matters.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

ADMISSION

SELECTION FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION

The faculty of the School of Education and Human Development conceives its ultimate obligation to be to the children, adolescents, and adults who will be taught by teachers who have completed teacher preparation programs at the University. The quality of students admitted into the teacher education curriculum is as important as the skills, content, and concepts to be learned.

Most courses in the teacher education program require school site-based field experiences, culminating in a full-time 15-week internship. School districts require a criminal background check for field placement students and interns. Fingerprinting and FBI background check procedures are at the applicant’s expense. Students with felony arrests may wish to consider these requirements carefully and, if necessary, seek advice from an advisor in the School before applying for admission to the program. Students without a valid social security number will not be eligible for placement in the school district.
The Director of Clinical Supervision and Internship Placement will assist students through these requirements.

All students who wish to be considered for admission and/or retention in curricula leading to Florida Teacher Certification will be formally screened at certain points in their program of study with respect to the following criteria:

1. Admission to Teacher Candidacy (see requirements below).
2. Acceptable grade point averages (C or better for courses in the major).
3. Acceptable evaluations by University of Miami faculty.
4. Evaluations by clinical faculty at various field experience sites.
5. Satisfactory progress toward the completion of the Florida Educators Accomplished Practices requirement.

Students who receive a grade below “C” in their Student Teaching semester will not be recommended for teacher certification.

Note: The Associate Dean of the School of Education and Human Development must approve appeals to the above policies.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO TEACHER CANDIDACY

1. Satisfactory performance on the General Knowledge Test.
2. Completion of 45 semester hours. In addition, transfer students must have a minimum of 9 semester hours of acceptable credit earned at the University of Miami.
3. A 2.5 GPA in education core courses. No education classes lower than “C”.
4. A 2.5 GPA in the content area teaching major (for secondary education majors).
5. Completion of the Course Advisement Plan (CAP).
6. Completion of at least one Field Experience requirement.
7. Further enrollment in teacher education course work offered by the School of Education and Human Development is contingent upon the student meeting requirements 1-6 above.
8. All students must successfully complete M-DCPS fingerprinting process. Forms are available in the Office of Undergraduate Academic Services.

NOTE: Appeals to the policies stated 1-6 above must be directed to the Associate Dean of the School of Education and Human Development.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO STUDENT TEACHING

Students submit a formal application to the Office of Teacher Preparation Programs and Accreditation for admission to Student Teaching. Application materials are available and are to be completed by students no later than October 15 (Fall semester) or March 15 (Spring semester).

The following requirements must be met:

1. Admission to a Teacher Preparation Program (Teacher Candidacy).
2. Completion of application for admission to Student Teaching, which includes an electronic submission to the Office of Teacher Preparation Programs and Accreditation.
3. Approval of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, the TAL Department Chair, and the Director of Accreditation.
4. Recommendations from two members of the faculty familiar with the student’s academic proficiency. One of these must be from a faculty member in the School of Education and Human Development.
5. Earned a minimum of 90 credit hours.
6. Submission of two FEAPs via Live Text to the Director of Accreditation.
7. All secondary majors must have completed approximately two-thirds of the courses in the teaching major and received departmental approval. Elementary majors must have completed TAL 308, 320, 322, 323, 330, 332. 420, 421, 432, 434, 426, 428, and received departmental approval.
8. Earned a minimum of 2.5 grade point average in core courses offered by the School of Education and Human Development.
9. A grade of “C” or better is required of each course applied to the major.
10. Earned a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average overall.
11. Successfully completed pre-internship field experiences.
12. Demonstrate satisfactory progress towards the completion of the Florida Educators Accomplished Practices requirement.
13. Passed the Florida General Knowledge Test.
14. Taken the Professional Education Test and the Subject Area Exam. NOTE: A MAXIMUM OF 12 CREDITS MAY BE TAKEN DURING THE STUDENT TEACHING SEMESTER. No outside job may be held or additional classes taken during the Associate Teaching semester.
NOTE: The Associate Dean of the School of Education and Human Development must approve appeals to the above policies.
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION

I. Candidates for B.S.Ed. in the School of Education and Human Development must complete the credit hours of work and achieve the quality point average specified for students in the University at large as stated in the section ACADEMIC REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES, subject to regulations concerning the major specified in departmental and program sections of this Bulletin.

Exempted is interpreted to refer exclusively to those exemptions provided under the
following headings:

II. Students must pass the Professional Education, General Knowledge and Subject Area tests of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE).

III. Students must complete the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) and the P- 12 Student Impact requirements. Monitoring of FEAPs and progress made toward program completion in the Teacher Education program will occur at the following checkpoints: Students enrolled in all teacher-education programs will submit complete portfolios at (1) application to student teaching and (2) at the end of TAL 480/TAL 580. In addition, students enrolled in:

• Elementary education will submit a portfolio artifact through LiveText during (or at the latest) upon completion of TAL 421 and TAL 426;
• Secondary education will submit a portfolio artifact through LiveText during or (at the latest) upon completion of TAL 540; and,
• Music education will submit a portfolio artifact through LiveText during or (at the latest) upon completion of TAL 506.

IV. Except where a required course is one designated to correct a deficiency in his/her college preparation, the student may apply the credit hours of any required course from which he is exempted toward the hours specified for that subject as a general requirement for graduation and, upon payment of a recording fee, toward the 120 credits required for graduation. (See Departmental Proficiency Examinations.) An exemption may be granted for English 105, but these credits may not be applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation.

V. Credit Only

Only free electives may be taken under this option. Courses which satisfy the major, minor, the distributions of the School, the General Education Requirements of the University or any course for which a C or better is required may not be taken for credit only.

VI. Transferred credit may not count toward the completion of a major without the written approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Education and Human Development.

VII. Required Areas of Study

A. English Composition 3 – 6 credits

Students fulfill this requirement by satisfactorily completing English 105 and English 106 or its equivalent. Appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores in English composition may be used to satisfy the English 105/106 requirement. An appropriate score on the SAT or ACT verbal examination may earn a student exemption from, but not credit in, ENG 105.

Appropriate scores on other tests determined by the Department of English may earn a student exemption from, but not credit in, English 105. Courses satisfying the English Composition requirement may not be used to fulfill the Writing Across the Curriculum Required Area of Study.

B. Mathematics

B.S.Ed. degree candidates must complete MTH 113 or higher. Students who do not place directly into MTH 113 must enroll in either MTH 099 or MTH 101 based on results of placement tests.

C. Foreign Languages (not applicable)

Areas of Knowledge

D. People and Society

B.S.Ed. Degree candidates must earn 9 credits in the Social Sciences.

E. Arts and Humanities

B.S.Ed. degree candidates must earn 12 credits, which must be earned in the areas of 1) Fine Arts and 2) Humanities with a minimum of 3 credits in each area. All Humanities credits must be earned in courses from the areas of Literature or Philosophy/Religion.

B.S.Ed. degree candidates may fulfill the Natural Sciences requirement by taking 6 credits (credits required depends on the program the student is enrolled) in the following disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Marine Sciences, Physics, and Physical Sciences.

Note: No more than six credit hours may be taken in any one department to satisfy the areas of knowledge requirement.

VIII. Writing

Every student must complete five writing-oriented (W) courses beyond ENG 105 and 106. Students must take one approved writing course section per academic year for a minimum of five writing intensive course sections, or their equivalents. A student is required to write at least 4000 words in each W course. Writing assignments will be assessed for both content and style. A W course listed in section V (Required Areas of Study) may be used to satisfy both the writing and Required Areas of Study criteria. Foreign language courses that meet the criteria above may be used to satisfy the writing requirement. Transfer students must satisfy at least 3 courses of the writing requirement at the University of Miami.

IX. Majors

Every candidate for the B.S.Ed. degree in the Department of Teaching and Learning must choose a major in Elementary Education/ESOL endorsement with an Exceptional Student Education area of specialization.

X. Minors

Every candidate for a 17- 18-credit minor that fulfills the State of Florida’s Professional Training Option (PTO) must select, at the point of application to candidacy, a minor area of study: Secondary English, Secondary Mathematics, Secondary Science, or Secondary Social Studies, Exceptional Student Education or other areas of recognized certification.

XI. Electives

Electives may be chosen from any courses offered by the University. The student should consult an advisor before selecting elective courses. At least six credits must be at the 300 level or above.

Note: Common prerequisites and total length for state-approved teacher education programs are subject to revision based on legislative and State of Florida Department of Education rule changes.

XII. Seniors are required to participate in the General Education Assessment prior to graduation as a part of the SACS review process.

For Graduate Coursework and Graduate Degree Programs Offered by The School of
Education and Human Development, see the Bulletin of the Graduate School.
For further information, address all inquiries to: Dean; School of Education and Human Development; P. O. Box 248065; University of Miami; Coral Gables, Florida 33124; Telephone: (305) 284-3711

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM

One of the roles of the School of Education and Human Development is to serve as the professional school to conduct and coordinate programs for the preparation of teachers and other educational personnel at the University of Miami. Membership is held in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education & Certification and in the Florida Association of Colleges for Teacher Educators. Teacher Preparation Programs (TPP) are accredited by the Florida Department of Education for the preparation of elementary teachers, secondary teachers, music teachers and other school service personnel.

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Only students who have completed all requirements for any State approved degree or certificate program will have their transcripts stamped as meeting State approved requirements for certification as well as appropriate endorsements. Students must meet requirements of the School of Education and Human Development as well as the college or school issuing the second major. Evidence of successful completion of all twelve Florida Educator Accomplished Practices is required to receive the FLDOE stamp on the graduate’s final transcript. Students entering the program on or after Fall 2012 will be required to evidence successful completion of all six Florida Educator Accomplished Practices.
Transcript stamp is contingent upon the student taking at least half of the coursework in teacher education at the University of Miami, including the Associate Teaching component. At least half of the coursework in the students teaching content area(s) must be taken at the University of Miami in the School of Education and Human Development, School of Music, or other UM schools or colleges as determined by the program in which the student is enrolled.

For Graduate Degree Programs offered by the School of Education and Human Development, see the Bulletin of the Graduate School.